This suburb has the most plane noise complaints – but these locals say that’s just hot air

The bayside suburb of Wellington Point, 18 kilometres from Brisbane Airport with a population of about 13,000 residents, had the largest number of aircraft noise complaints in 2023.

But it seems no one told Wellington Point residents about their problem.

Brisbane’s bayside suburb of Wellington Point had the most aircraft noise complaints (469) in 2023, but from the 10th highest number of complainants (33). Michael Wyatt says aircraft noise is not a problem any more.Credit: Tony Moore

Data from Airservices Australia, a federal government airport body funded by airlines, shows 469 complaints were made from Wellington Point from 33 complainants in 2023.

The frustration pushed the bayside suburb – near Birkdale and Manly – into the top 10 sources of aircraft noise complaints for the first time since Brisbane’s new parallel runway opened in July 2020.

In total there were 11,317 aircraft noise complaints from 1745 different complainants in 2023.

Most aircraft noise complainants – not complaints – came from Balmoral 107 (361 complaints), Tingalpa 60 (118 complaints), Morningside 50 (87 complaints) and Wynnum 45 (89 complainants).

However, while the statistics told one story, Wellington Point residents told an entirely different story. Aircraft noise is not a problem there any more, they say.

“I guess I don’t really mind planes, so it doesn’t really worry me,” retiree Michael Wyatt said as he walked his dog Ringo around the Wellington Point bayside walkway.

“I’ve been here on and off for 40-odd years and I remember five or six years ago there was more – and then there was none during COVID.

“Now they’re back. But it’s not noisy enough to block out the tele.”

Steve* has lived at Wellington Point “since decimal currency came into place”.

That was 1966.

“Years ago they used to come over here, right over there [pointing to the south],” he said.

“Steve” (not his real name), who has lived at Wellington Point since 1966, said aircraft noise is no longer a problem because planes fly higher and over the bay islands.Credit: Tony Moore

“One of my mates was a pilot and I asked him ‘Why don’t you go into the bay a bit more, so I can listen to the 6pm news’.

“They used to come over years ago just as the news was on, but we don’t see or hear them now.

“They all go out to sea now. You can see them of a nighttime, but you can’t even hear them.”

30-year-old Chris Torr lives at nearby Manly West and was yesterday trying out a new windsurfer at Wellington Point on a day off.

Torr hears the planes, but says they are not overbearing and not nearly as noisy as Yorky’s Knob near Cairns.

“My dad lives right there [Yorky’s Knob] and those planes are a lot closer and a lot louder than around the bay here,” Torr said.

Mark Guerrini says planes now fly higher around Moreton Bay and are quieter by the time they reach Wellington Point.Credit: Tony Moore

Mark Guerrini lives at Birkdale and works in Wellington Point. He also says aircraft noise is no longer a problem in Wellington Point, despite the jump in complaints.

“It has been a few years since they have done up the new runway, and now I notice they go out towards the water, go around an island out there and by the time they get to us, they are much higher,” Guerrini said.

Airservices Australia said they planned to adjust flight paths, so planes fly forest areas of Thornlands.

“We have proposed changes which will shift the current flight path over Wellington Point to cross over a less populated area of Thornlands at a much higher altitude,” a spokeswoman said.

“This proposed change has not yet been implemented as it is still subject to engagement with the community.

“We anticipate the appearance of Wellington Point in our top 10 Brisbane complainant data is due to this consultation [Brisbane’s Noise Action Plan], highlighting aircraft movements prompting complaints from people who otherwise might not have been aware of operations in this area.”

Neither Dr Sean Foley, nor Professor Marcus Foth from the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance, was immediately able to comment on why Wellington Point generates so many complaints.

Foley has published data on aircraft noise over Brisbane for the BFPCA, arguing low frequency sound is a “silent killer”.

“The audible aircraft noise annoying you is not the low-frequency noise harming you,” he wrote.

The research found chronic exposure to low-frequency aircraft noise is linked to cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment and mental health issues.

*Resident requested not to be named.